KUWAIT CITY, Aug 3: MP Abdullah Al-Turaij has warned Deputy Premier and Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdul-Mohsen Al- Mudej on the consequences of appointing new board members of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to replace those whose term will end in September, before the committee tasked to investigate the alleged financial and administrative violations completes its work.

In press statement recently, Al- Turaiji pointed out the investigation, once completed, might prove the alleged involvement of some incumbent officials considering the availability of documents that could be used as evidence. He said the ongoing investigation has, so far, resulted in the discovery of forged and unaccredited certificates; not to mention the questionable appointment of the relatives of some former and current MPs.

He claimed there are CMA employees who receive salaries which are not commensurate to their educational qualifications and work experience. Al-Turaiji asserted the minister has chosen the path towards confrontation with the investigative committee due to his insistence to appoint new board members prior to the completion of investigation. He said the minister must bear the consequences of such appointments which might harm the stock market and traders.

He expects HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak to issue a directive to postpone the new appointments until the committee completes its task. In another development, MP Faisal Al-Kandari has forwarded questions to Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh on the alleged counterfeiting of new Kuwaiti banknotes. He wants to know if the minister and administration have verified the information, if it is possible to forge the new banknotes, and if there is a special team in charge of detecting and investigating the allegation. He demanded for details like the total cost of changing the currency, its benefits and purpose. He asked about the effects of delayed procedures for the automated teller and revenue stamp machines to accept the new banknotes.

Meanwhile, MP Mohammed Al- Hadiya has threatened to grill Minister of Public Works Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim in the next legislative round for taking decisions regarding the Road and Maintenance Department before its transfer to the new Public Authority for Transportation. He said the minister issued decrees to assign some of employees in other departments even if he knows about the transfer. The MP added he will stand against any attempt to manipulate and influence the new authority. He thinks the minister took such decisions to prepare some individuals for certain positions in the authority. He said this is unacceptable considering the law stipulates that the employment structure of the new authority should be given to its board of directors, not the ministry.

On the other hand, MP Abdulhamid Dashti has asked the state minister for housing affairs to issue a decree on granting rent allowance and postponing housing loan installments for citizens who own under construction houses in new residential areas with unfinished infrastructure like electricity or water.

He wondered why the minister have stopped granting rent allowance to these citizens, indicating this is a violation of the Rent Allocation Law which states the payment of rent allowance should be stopped only when all services are completed and available for use.